UK’s largest sporting retailer to open a store in Tallinn

Baltic Business News

Monday, August 11, 2014

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UK’s largest sporting retailer to open a store in Tallinn

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Sports Direct International plc, a British retailing giant that is known for its low margins, will open its first store on 1,600 sqm in Tallinn in Ülemiste Shopping Centre at the end of October, writes Äripäev.

Sports Direct acquired 60% of Sportland Group, the largest sporting goods retailer and distributor of Nike products in the Baltic states, in May 2013.

"But I am sure that the new store will strengthen our position in the market for sports goods as we now have strong mono brand stores like Nike, multibrand stores like Sportland and a sports discounter, i.e., Sports Direct," added Pärnits, making no secret that Ülemiste mall is attempting to attract customers from other shopping malls.

"It’s better to have Sports Direct in your mall than to see it open in the neighbourhood or in a competing mall," he added.

Commenting the news, Gerd Kiili, chairman of Sportland Eesti, said that Sportland plans to change the concept of its store in Ülemiste mall that also has 1,650 sqm of floor space and become a store of a "digital age".

Pärnits said that the expanded Ülemiste Shopping Centre expects to increase the number of its daily visitors to 20,000.